5 Steps to Help Make Your Travel Bucket List a Reality
Now is the perfect time to prioritise yourself and your dreams of seeing the world by making your travel goals come true.
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Do you want to travel more but don’t know where to start? Whether you’re still trying to work out what your travel goals are for the next three, six or 12 months, or you're ready to get stuck into working out how to implement your travel bucket list, you’re in safe hands.
Taking small-but-mighty steps to set out your travel goals is the simplest – and most painless – way to prevent overwhelm and turn your holiday dreams into booked trips. Our tips will help you delve into how to achieve your travel goals and maybe even help you learn something about yourself and your travel wish list along the way…
5 steps to achieving your travel bucket list:
- Identify your travel goals
- Plan out your annual leave
- Think outside the travel box
- Consider what’s important to you
- Use S.M.A.R.T. goals to increase your chance of success.
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How to achieve your travel goals — whatever your holiday dreams
#1. Identify your travel goals
When we’re young, we spend a lot of time daydreaming and letting our imaginations run wild. But as adults? Not so much. If exploring more of the world is important to you, allow yourself the space to really think about what your travel dreams are — and then make them a priority. Yes, the daily grind can wait for a moment...
To help you get started — and allow inspiration to flow — ask yourself these questions:
- What takes my breath away? What makes me feel relaxed?
- Where would I go if I had several weeks off?
- What would I do if money was no obstacle?
- Who do I want to travel the world with and why?
- Do I dream of several long weekend getaways, or do I want an extended getaway?
- What kind of places inspire me?
- Do I like to be busy, spend time relaxing or a combination of both on holiday?
Got your answers? Now is the time to see if you can see any patterns or if any ideas start to form to help your plan out your travel bucket list and make it happen.
#2. Plan out your annual leave
Many of us need to prioritise work on a day-to-day basis, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan out our annual leave days in a way that helps us attain our travel goals!
Why? Many studies show the importance of taking time off and the long-term benefits of travel, so who are we to disagree! Taking time off from work can help reduce stress, make us happier, renew our positive outlook on life and even make us better employees.
So, create a travel calendar planner and think about how much annual leave you have available to you and which periods of the year you’re likely to be able to take off work, then plot them into the document.
Want to maximise your annual leave allowance by tapping into public holidays? Keep in mind that planning your annual leave around public holidays may make your trip a little more expensive, but it also can provide the benefit of a slightly longer trip than you’d otherwise be able to take.
Once you’ve figured out a plan and plotted out your travel goals in your travel planner, aim to have your annual leave approved as early as possible, so you can get cracking on planning all the elements of your dream travel adventures.
#3. Think outside the travel box
Have you always wanted to make an impact through travel? Using annual leave as a reason to travel with a purpose is on the rise. Yes, you can make an impact through medical missions, refugee outreach, joining a non-profit team, disaster relief, and more — the opportunities are endless to help make a difference in the lives of others.
Or maybe you’re looking to create a travel bucket list that helps your grow as a person? You could book a holiday where you:
- learn a new skill
- try a new adventure sport
- dive into the history books in the place the historic events happened
- stay at a farm or vineyard to learn about the process
…to help get you out of your comfort zone and explore new ways to get inspired through travel.
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#4. Consider what’s important to you
Got lots of different interests? Each holiday on your list of travel goals can look a bit different and reflect what’s important to you.
Before you start planning your travel wish list and taking the step to make your trips happen, have a think about these questions and then let the answers guide your bookings:
Is eco-friendly and sustainable travel important to me?
When I go shopping, do I prioritise buying local?
Do I want to see tourist highlights or go off the beaten path?
Do I like to be on a schedule or have the freedom to go wherever I want when I want?
Do I want a luxurious trip or will the bare bones do?
#5. Use S.M.A.R.T. goals to increase your chance of success
There’s a chance you’ve used S.M.A.R.T. goals at work, but did you know they can be useful for achieving your personal goals as well? Try using this method to discover how to you achieve your travel goals.
1. Specific — When setting your travel goals, be specific. This first step is about identifying who, what, when, where and why when it comes to travel. This step isn’t for how you’ll meet your goals, but rather pinpointing the basics so you can understand what you really want from your travel adventures.
2. Measurable — When it comes to travel, it helps to break the goal down into measurable steps. You need to have a way to measure progress along the way. For example, if you’re planning a series of long weekends, break down your to-do list icananto measurable steps, such as plotting out when each trip will take place in your calendar planner, selecting locations, and booking accommodation. Same goes for longer trips.
3. Achievable — To make your travel dreams attainable, figure out how you will realistically make them reality. Use this as inspiration to motivate you. Do you need to take on a temporary side gig to raise the money? Have you set aside time to do research, explore options and travel deals? This is the step where you think about the time and money needed to actually tick off the trips on your travel bucket list.
4. Relevant — With this step, you’ll want to consider if your travel goals align with your overall life goals. Do these holiday plans support what’s important to you? Whether that’s volunteer travel, gaining quality time with those you love, or de-stressing by yourself, your trip plans should align with your values and want you want in life.
5. Timely — It’s smart to be realistic with time to help ensure your holiday dreams can come true. Give yourself a target date for each measurable step in the planning phase. If it will take you four months to plan that Eurotrip, jot down your steps and give yourself deadlines for completing them. If you want to take that long weekend a few weeks from now, break it down with due dates. Giving yourself time restrictions creates a sense of urgency and help keep you on track, making it more likely you’ll accomplish your travel goals.
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Now it’s go-time.
Don’t just stop at the dreaming stage — do what you can to make your travel goals a reality. We can’t wait to see the places you’ll go!
And once you’ve booked your trip(s), don’t forget to consider protecting your travels to help ensure you’ve got the care you need when you need it most.
Ready to protect your travel bucket list adventures?
Discover how a Cover-More policy can provide cover for your upcoming holiday.